The Future of Water Innovation and Technology on World Water Day

It’s hard to fathom the fact that around the world over 663 million people still do not have access to clean drinking water. Today we observe World Water Day, an international observance that gives us an opportunity to learn more about water-related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference. In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated March 22 as World Water Day. World Water Day is coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with governments and partners.

The United Nations reports that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in regions that face “absolute water scarcity.” Corporate investments in innovative technologies show the commitment by major companies to the conservation and efficiency of water, addressing the water energy generation and the need for more intelligent infrastructure and organizations to promote responsible water stewardship.

Nanotechnology in filtration removes microbes, bacteria and their matter from water by using composite nanoparticles that emit silver ions which destroy contaminants. Membrane technology allows water to pass through membranes that filter and purify the water treatment process. Seawater distillation, although extremely expensive uses reverse osmosis technology to mimic the biological process to shuttle water in and out of cells while blocking out salts. New technologies through transforming wastewater into a source of drinking water, as well as the deployment of precision irrigation systems, are beneficial to farmers in developed countries. Potable treatment systems address the explosion of mobile water treatment facilities.